For Life
by Billie Hart
Summary: JacobO.C. Not MarySue, I swear Jacob and his pack run into a new wolf, and Luna has a little more behind her than they know. This story is incomplete and will not be completed by the original author.
1. Chapter 1: Luna

For Life

Jacob/O.C. FanFiction.

**Chapter One**

I hate Mondays. The fact that the world had become a lot more complicated in my life his past year, and the fact that my hours of sleep have become so few and far between, Mondays had recently become my new definition of hell. But, when my alarm clock struck, showing that it was already 6:30, I flipped off of my bed.

It wasn't difficult, seeing as I was already half off my bed, still wearing what little clothes I had left from last night. I stretched my arms, cracking my back as I felt the tops of my hands brush against the ceiling. I groaned, slouched, and stalked my way into the kitchen.

Billy was still asleep, and I could hear his snoring echo through the house. I was kind of jealous, I would give almost anything right now to just take a few hours off, sleep at 10 and wake up at 9. But, I had school and…other responsibilities. I started a pot of coffee and then sulked back into my room to get dressed.

The days had all started to suck since around March, and I knew exactly why, I knew who was to blame for my abundance of suck-ness. I snarled to myself as I pulled the stained, white t-shirt over my head. The Cullens, those bastards, why couldn't the filthy bloodsuckers just leave Forks-and _her_-in peace? I could help Bella through whatever the Cullens would do when they left, I did it before.

_Her…_ I shook my head, keeping my mind from wandering as I fastened my pants and walked out into the bathroom. I splashed cool water and shivered as it turned to steam instantly on my unusually warm skin. I had gotten really good at keeping my mind off of _her_. After all, she had basically decided that the bloodsuckers were more important to her than I was, so I could ignore her with no remorse.

At least, no logical remorse; but emotions and logic really didn't mix.

I poured myself a cup of hot, black coffee and gulped it down before glancing at the clock;6:50. I had just enough time to finish my breakfast and run out the door to make it to school on time, though I really didn't need to. I tossed my backpack-virtually empty as it was- into the passengers seat of my Rabbit and started the engine.

I really do hate Mondays.

---

School was becoming more of a chore than a necessity. I wasn't learning _anything_ in my classes-at least, not anything I could use in my future- and it always seemed like no one would care if I just dropped out. That kind of irked me, if I had wanted to drop out _before _I started running with Same, then I would have heard an earful from Billy, the Elders, and just about everyone else in La Push, but now that I was one of Sam Uley's "protectors," I could do no wrong. It was more than a little annoying. But, it had its perks.

For instance, the necessity of homework became a thing of the past. I hadn't done a single worksheet this entire year and every time, my teachers would just smile and tell me that I was probably busy with the protectors, doing good and justice and some crap, and that I wouldn't have to make it up-they would just excuse it. That's the way it was for all of the protectors.

But, coming to school was still something _highly_ necessary-not for my education, for my sanity. After all, it was one of the few times when my 'brothers' and I could sit together, laugh, and talk without worrying that some little leech would try to off us. Well, it wasn't _really_ the only place, but it felt safer than most—Not that we couldn't handle a little leech.

I slid into my seat, pulling out pointless pieces of paper so I could feign interest in my Advanced Calculus class, as Quil, Embry, and Paul took up the seats around me. We all didn't do shit in this class-or any class- and yet we were allowed to sit in the back of each class and chatter away about nothing, earning A's. But, today was a test that _we _didn't have to take, but we had to be quiet for, so I was for fifty minute of boredom.

I decided to sleep. I laid my head on my desk, using my warm arms as a pillow as I closed my eyes, the open window allowing a cool breeze to waft in over the room.

That's when I smelled it. It was potent, and soft, almost like the scent of our own, but something…lighter. Something _better_. I slowly opened my eyes, looking over at Quil and Embry, who looked at me the same way. So they noticed too? Paul was dead asleep and I doubted if a smell-no mater how _gorgeous_ it was- could wake him. I caught eyes with Embry, and we smirked. So, we were leaving? Fun, fun. I kicked Paul's desk, who glared up at me, but when he caught a whiff of the sweet scent, he stood swiftly, his face melting into a look of content.

We weren't given any trouble as we walked away from the building to my car at 8:15 in the morning on a Monday. There were definite perks to being a protector.

---

"What do you think it was?" asked Embry, his head half-hanging out of the side of my car, his nostrils flared trying to get a good whiff of what it was again. We drove to our usual spot, the clearing just beyond the ridge at the edge of the forest.

"I don't know," said Quil, "but it sure was _swee-eet._" He closed his eyes, smirking to himself as he leaned against the back seat next to Paul, who was dead silent.

"Do you think we should get Sam?" I asked, pulling my Rabbit to a stop. For some reason, I didn't even want the boys here. It was like I wanted whatever emitted that scent for me and me alone, and I was pretty sure by the awkward glances they each gave one another that they all felt the same way. Why? We had no idea. But in our line of life, trusting animal instincts normally resulted in the best.

"Naw," said Quil and Embry simultaneously. I laughed. They were all thinking the same thing I was; the less people, the smaller then competition. We climbed out of the car as we faced the woods, each sniffing the air a little. No one could trace the scent again. So, we should make the best of it.

"Ok," I said, "let's make this a race." The guys all smiled, even Paul, who seemed a bit under the weather, managed a grin. "First one to find it, keeps it." They each hooted individually, facing separate directions into the woods. We stood silent for a moment, waiting for my cue; my game, my rules.

"Aw, c'mon!" said Embry, who was bouncing on his heels, obviously eager to get the race started, "I'll let you guys visit it once and a while once I win it!"

"You don't even know what 'it' is, asshole," said Quil mock angrily. I laughed.

"Whoever finds it first, send out a holler so we can all figure this out," I said. They all crouched, facing their individual directions, each smiling. "And no morphing." They each grunted in acknowledgement. But, now, even _I _was getting itchy to go. "Alright, ready?" I crouched low to the ground, a runner's starting position. I held a moment, watching my brother's twitch before I decided to start this contest. "GO!"

We each ran off in a blur.

---

I ran through the forest, dodging trees and attempting to follow my nose without morphing. It was hard, but this was a friendly contest, no need to let it get out of hand by morphing. With a deep inhale, I caught the scent again, thanking my nostrils for taking in such a beautiful smell. It was close, really close-I moved like lightning.

I heard a howl from the direction I was going, but it was an unfamiliar one; not from a regular wolf _or_ one of my brothers. It was a softer sound, a weaker sound. It was a more frightened sound, almost like begging for help. Then, another scent flared into my nostrils-a vampire. I let out a low growl before realizing that the two scents, and the how, were all coming from the same place; but the judge of the wind and my position, it all came from about a quarter a mile north of me.

I shot off like a bullet, and within seconds, I found my source.

She was a large wolf, smaller than I and my brothers, but for a regular wolf, she was _huge_. Her fur was pure white, and, as she stood, I could see how young she was. Her paw were still large, like a puppy's, and the shine in her coat showed she was healthy and probably full of energy. She stood, crouched low, a small growl wash coming from her as she stared into the bush ahead of her, her ears pinned to her head and her tail pushed between her legs.

That's when I remembered the other scent. I followed her gaze to the bush as a pale woman, with blood eyes and black hair, her face splattered with blood, emerged from the greenery. This wolf was...hunting? The woman snarled at the wolf with a sadistic grin.

"C'mere, little _wolfette_," she said, her accent from the north. The white wolf pushed herself to the ground, when it all made sense. This wolf wasn't hunting, she was being _hunted_. The white wolf tilted her head back, letting out the moaning, begging howl I had heard earlier. It was too much to bear. I tore off my clothes as I shivered to morph, lunging between the smaller wolf and the vampire, my voice changing from real shouts to a low, angry growl. I felt my brothers' thoughts and I called for them.

They were here near instantaneously, surrounding the small wolf protectively before launching in to attack the vampire. The battle didn't last long.

I calmly shifted back, turning to look on the white wolf, possibly to pet its fur and calm it. But, as I turned, I felt my eyes widen and my jaw drop.

There, sitting, crouched in the same position the wolf had been, was a small girl. She was only a year younger than I, if she was younger at all, with smooth, pale skin, short, dark hair and piercing blue orbs for eyes. She was staring at me, her slanted eyes wide as she gaped at my named body, her arms shaking. I couldn't tell if it was from fear or relief.

"Whoaaaa," said Embry as he shifted back, moving in behind me. He sniffed the air, and moved closer to the girl. She snarled and backed herself into a tree, showing her teeth to him. Embry laughed and sniffed the air around her. Her face was a mixture of confusion and possibly…revulsion as Embry moved away, looking over at me with a half-hearted grin. "Dude, you win." I blinked.

"What?" I asked, looking at him confused. Embry pointed at her, grinning his stupid sideways grin.

"The race, you found it," he said, holding his arm, motioning to her. "It's yours." I blinked, then blushed a little and punched Embry in the arm just as Paul and Quil walked up.

"She's not an _it_!" I said, Embry laughed.

"Ok, ok, you found _her_, feel better?" A little. But, I was still kind of confused. I looked over at Paul and Quil, who were each gaping at the girl –woman? Female – with a mixture of confusion, and obvious defeat.

"What should we do with her?" asked Quil after a moment. I looked back down at the girl, then crouched near her. She was still pressed against the tree. What would we do with her? We'd take her back where she came from.

"Hey…" I said, reaching my hand out to her in a friendly gesture. She blinked, and sniffed my hand lightly, wrapping her arms around her body as she sat upright. "What's your name?" I asked. No response. I rolled my eyes, "C'mon, just say your name…." She blinked up at me. _Great,_ she can't talk.

"I don't think she talks, man," said Embry, who came up behind me again. She gaped at him, and then I realized we were all still very naked. I stood, rubbing the back of my neck.

"I think…" I said, looking down at her, "I think we need Sam." Embry laughed.

"Yeah, but first we need clothes," said Embry, moments before he rushed back to my car.

---

The girl was _strange _to have in close proximity. I realized this as I drove, shirtless, to Emily and Sam's place. Next to me, huddle in _my_ shirt-and _nothing else_- was the girl. She had yet to speak, but came with us easily once I had tried to explain that Sam was our Alpha. Her eyes were scanning the horizon as she huddled to the door of my front seat, almost like she was trying to find a place, or maybe, a person.

I sighed as I pulled into Sam's driveway. This would be…odd to explain. The boys climbed out of the back of my car, and I was out of the car and at the door before I realized that she was still _in_ the car. She was staring out the window at the horizon still. I sighed, then walked back, my hands shoved deep in the pocket of my jeans, playing with my keys. Her eyes caught mine through the glass, and one small hand pressed itself against the window, her blue eyes confused. Then it registered; she couldn't _talk_, how did I expect her to work a car door?

I smiled in what I desperately hoped was a comforting manner before I pulled up on the door handle. When the door swung open, I held my hand out to her. She sniffed it before jumping from the Rabbit, landing inches in front of me. She was so _small_, even smaller than…_her_. Her size was another reason we needed to get her to Sam, is she was one of us, shouldn't she be…bigger? Stronger? A bit more…intimidating?

I wasn't complaining, though, she was…cute, in a childish way. She was around a foot and a half shorter than I was, at my massive six foot five, she only barely reached my chest. My huge, stained, white t-shirt was like a gown on her, the sleeves dangling to her forearms and the bottom hitting her knees. She was slim all around, slim shoulders and hips and a waist that was almost the same width as the rest of her body, and she was pretty much flat, but she was still cute in her own way. And she smelled _delicious_.

She must have noticed my scanning over her because she tilted her head to the side, her blue eyes sparkling in confusion at me. I caught myself and looked over at the door where Emily was watching us, waving us inside. I guess the boys already told her and Sam what was going on.

"Come on inside," I said, motioning towards the house and starting to walk again. I could smell the home made pancakes waiting to be devoured. I looked back, and she was standing by my car, looking off at the horizon and nibbling on her bottom lip. I grumbled. She was cute, but she was, apparently, dense as anything. I walked back over to her and wrapped my fingers around her arm and dragging her in to the house. She snarled as I dragged her, then it became sort of a struggle.

A struggle that I easily won, and that she _loudly_ defended against; by the time I got her through the threshold, she was growling at her full potential and I was probably growling in return. We were greeted by Emily's horrified glare.

"Jacob!" she said, walking over to us. I rolled my eyes and shut the door behind us just as Emily struck my hand that was grasping the girl's arm, "Let her go, she's our guest, not an animal!" I rolled my eyes, leaning against the door, rubbing the hand Emily had struck. It didn't hurt, but it was the principle of the thing. "Oh, come here dear, let me get you out of that disgusting t-shirt," said Emily cheerfully.

"Hey, that's my favorite shirt!" I complained as Emily dragged the girl, in almost the same fashion I had, to her bedroom. I rolled my eyes and shoved my hands into my pockets before sulking into the kitchen. I was greeted by four jealous stares.

Each of the boys were positioned around the kitchen. Jared, who I assumed had been here, was sitting, pajama-clad, in one of the chairs in front of the table full of food. Paul was sitting on the counter, his arms crossed over his chest haughtily. Quil and Embry were the only ones not _exceedingly _jealous of me. They both sat at more chairs at the table.

"So, you won," said Paul bitterly. I grabbed a pancake off the table, pushed it into my mouth, and leaned against the refrigerator.

"So, I did," I said calmly after swallowing my pancake. This was such a strange sensation that was coursing through me, settling in a strange place in the pit of my stomach. I could see the bitterness in my brother's eyes, and it made me furious and contented at the same time. A deep, terrifying feeling was pulling me toward the edge of rage at each and every one of them. I felt a strong, warm hand clasp down on my shoulder as Sam stared down at me, a reassuring smile on his face. I felt the anger melt.

"So, boys," said Sam, sitting down at the last empty seat at the table. He calmly made himself a plate of Emily's delicious food, and the other's took turns each making a plate. "It seems," he said as he gently sliced the pancake on his plate into sections, "that we may have a new addition to the pack." We were all silent for a moment before Emily walked in, the other girl tagging behind her in an awkward looking blue sundress. From the looks of it, the dress was too big for her, but it was better than my shirt. I had to stop from laughing to myself as the blue spaghetti straps fell off her thin shoulders.

She looked around the room before straightening her back and pushing her shoulders back. It seemed like she was trying to look…intimidating? I snickered to myself, was she really trying to intimidate a room full of large male werewolves? I was the tallest and she _barely _made it to my chest.

"So," said Sam calmly, though I could see the amusement with her actions in his eyes as well, "what's your name?" he asked, flinging his arm around the back of the chair to face her. She looked around the room anxiously, her gaze landing on me, as if she was asking for my permission. After her stare deepened and it was silent for a few more moments, I nodded lightly. She nodded and looked back at Sam.

"…I don't have one," she said slowly, as if she hadn't spoken in a while. My eyes widened. She could _speak?_ And she could speak _English_? I rested my face in the palm of my hand-I must have looked like an _idiot_ earlier when I thought she couldn't talk.

"How old are you?" Sam demanded, a little confused by her answer. To be honest, I was confused too. How could she not have a name?

"Um...I don't really know…" she said, her posture slouching out more. Her voice held a small, shaking tremor to it. She was _terrified_ and I could smell it on her. Sam quirked his brow and straightened his back. She was uncomfortable, and it was contagious.

"Where are you _from_?" asked Sam, being very patient with her. It wasn't easy for him, but I understood why he would want to try and be patient. She was scared out of her wits, and it would take a while for her to calm down. She looked up, her face lit a little.

"Oh, the snow lands," she said proudly. I blinked, snow lands? That could mean anywhere from here to the North Pole (or, at least, northern Greenland). But, something didn't make sense. How could she _not_ know the answers to these simple questions.

"Who were you _with_?" I asked, ignoring the fact that Sam was obviously leading this interrogation. I felt him glance over at me, and could tell he was glaring, but my eyes stayed glued to the heart-shaped face of our new…something.

"My pack," she said, her brow arched as if she were explaining this to a child. I blinked.

"There are more, I mean, more like you?" asked Embry, his eyes lit with anticipation. They girl stared at him blankly.

"More shifters?" she asked, everyone in the room, even Jared, Quil and Paul, nodded. "No…I was the only shifter in my pack." Pure and utter confusion washed over me. Then, like a slap in the face, it hit me.

"Were you with…a wild pack of _wolves?" _I asked, knowing how strange it must sound. But her eyes lightened as her face softened into a small smile.

"Of course," she said, "Who should I have been with? They raised me…" I stared. So did Paul and Quil. Sam laughed. Jared sighed. Embry moaned, probably because there were no other _females_ coming to rescue her.

The girl just looked over us, her brow arched in confusion. I think she was trying to gauge our reactions; wolves probably didn't gape slack-jawed at her very often. I slid down the refrigerator until I was sitting on the ground, my knees arched up where my elbows rested.

"Do you want us to take you home?" asked a voice from the back. Paul was speaking, which was odd, because he hadn't been in a very chatty mood all day. The girl looked up at him, then her eyes saddened.

"I no longer have a home…" she said, before letting her gaze fall to me. Why did she keep looking at _me_ with those sad eyes. I sighed.

"Well, if you don't have a home, we're going to have to keep you," I said, running a hand through my black hair. This day had gone completely differently than I had first anticipated. Sam leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Jacob, why is it that only _you _bring in strays?" I knew who he was referring to, and my eyes hardened as I glared at him. "But, you're right. We can't just abandon her or anything, so, like I said, we have a new addition."

"What are we gonna call her?" asked Quil, who was sitting on the floor across the room from me. The room was silent in thought, each of us evaluating our favorite names, and even just some random ones.

"How about Lupée?" asked Embry, who was now standing, leaning against the sink. Everyone wrinkled their noses. That name didn't fit her at all.

"Uh, why don't we just call her 'Female'" said Jared impatiently. Quil punched him in the arm. After all, this was her name; she should have a nice one. There were a few more moments of silence before I spoke up.

"What about Luna?" I asked. Her eyes lit up at that suggestion, sparkling like blue sapphires in the light. Everyone looked at each other, then at her, as she was staring at me hopefully. I guess she liked the name. Sam smiled, and stood, clasping a hand on my shoulder.

"Luna it is," he said, before moving past Luna into the living room.

"Hey, where is she gonna stay?" I asked. Embry laughed, and I glared at him.

"You won remember?" he said, I quirked my brow. "She's yours." I gaped.

"You can't be serious…" I said. The other's just laughed before joining Sam in the living room. Quil clapped me on the shoulder fondly.

"They _were_ your rules," he said before walking into the other room, where Sam had turned on the TV. I sunk my head into my hands.

I _hate_ Mondays.

_All Characters (save _Luna_) © Stephenie Meyer, this was made for recreational purposes, and the writer is not gaining any monetary benefit from this. _


	2. Chapter 2: Adjusting

For Life

Jacob/O.C. FanFiction.

**Chapter Two: Adjusting**

I pulled into the driveway at the house and sighed. This wasn't going to be difficult, but, it wasn't going to be _easy_. I opened my door and stepped out, holding it open so Luna could crawl out of my door instead of worrying about opening her. She was turning out to be more of a hassle than she might be worth. Her bare feet touched the ground and I watched as she adjusted to the feel of the gravel, rubbing the balls of her heels into the ground.

I moved go inside, but, when I heard the light footsteps moving to follow me, I stopped. Better to ask first and explain why he couldn't say 'no' later.

"Luna?" I asked, unsure of why it was a question; probably trying to adjust her to her new name.

"Yes?" she answered promptly. I smiled a little.

"Stay put until I come to get you," I said, looking over my shoulder. I watched as she nodded her head affirmatively, and nodded back. I turned to stare at the door and sighed, maybe Billy wouldn't be _that_ bad.

---

It had taken nearly an _hour_ for me to explain the events of the day in the full detail that satisfied Billy before he finally agreed that, yes, Luna could live with us. I darted out the door, half expecting to find her missing. But, to my surprise, there she was, standing in the exact spot I had left her in, staring off into the horizon. She looked so sad every time she stared off at the horizon, like she was longing to be somewhere, with someone.

"Luna?" I asked, snapping her out of her trance. Her blue eyes moved over to mine, shimmering in the golden rays of the late-afternoon sunset. She didn't respond vocally, but I knew she was paying attention to me as those sapphires stared into the depths of my soul, or at least, that's what it felt like. I cleared my throat to dislodge the lump she seemed to have transferred from her eyes to mine.

"Uh, my father, Billy, wants to meet you…" I said sheepishly. This felt like I was bringing home a fiancée or a wife, it was hard to believe that it was just _temporary_ lodging for a pack mate. I contemplated acknowledging her as my 'sister' but it wasn't right. She wasn't my sister, and I didn't want her to be my sister.

I got caught up in my thoughts of siblings and pseudo-family dynamics, and it took me a moment to realize that her little legs had already lead her past me into the living room. I turned and darted inside, and there she was, standing in front of Billy, at a safe five-feet away, her head bent down a little and her back straight. It was then that I noticed that she was covered in dirt and that her hair was matted and messy.

She had smelled so good to me, I had just assumed that she was clean. But, it wouldn't make sense if she was, seeing as she had basically explained that she had been out in the wilderness for god only knows how long. I should have made her take a shower at Sam's before bringing her home to Billy, he shouldn't have to meet her like this. Crap, there I went again, feeling like this was some strange meeting of my father and significant other….

"My, aren't you a sight," said Billy calmly. He noticed the dirt too, but he didn't seem embarrassed by it. She stayed silent as he looked her over. "What was your name again, dear?" he asked. I panicked. I don't know _why_ I panicked, seeing as I had already explained everything to Billy; that she was a werewolf, that she had been running with a wild pack, that we rescued her, everything.

"Luna," she answered promptly. I smiled. Something about hearing her voice form her name seemed…fitting. I was pleased with myself for choosing the right name for her.

"Luna," Billy repeated, smiling up at her. "Well, it will be a nice change to have a lady in the house again," he said, glancing over at me. I glared at him. He was talking about _her_ and it was aggravating. He caught my glare and looked back at her, "You can have my daughters' old room, next to Jake's." And with that, Billy turned to the TV.

---

Silently, I grabbed Luna's hand and pulled her into the room next to mine. It was much larger than mine, but seeing as it had served as a room for two people instead of my one, it was only reasonable. She looked around, as if to figure out what to do with this large room. I sighed and sank onto one of the beds in the room. Tentatively, she sat next to me, keeping a safe distance but still _very_ close.

It was unnerving having her so close, because as she sat there, her sweet scent hit me like a blunt object to the face, and I reveled in it. I looked over at her, bracing my arms under my head as I kicked one leg onto the bed, the other dangling off the edge. Her eyes were distant, her posture slouching more as her eyelids seemed to become heavier with each blink.

She was probably exhausted, she could have been running for days. I sat up, which seemed to get her attention and smiled calmly. Her face remained an expressionless interest.

"Go take a bath then go to sleep," I said, pointing to the linen cupboard with was full of towels. She stared at me, and I groaned. "You _do_ know how to bathe yourself, right?" Her eyes narrowed.

"Of _course_ I do," she said, mocking my tone.

"Then go _do it_," I said, a small snarl working into my voice. She snarled back.

"No." I let out a low growl, my fists shaking against my side.

"You're _covered_ in dirt!" I snapped, trying, and failing, to leash my anger.

"Your point?" she said huffily. I growled loudly, but then I realized a solution.

Quickly, and without any warning, I stood and scooped her into my arms. She was taken aback for a moment, but then started to growl, her legs kicking with some force as she attempted to break free. I clung tighter. I rushed her down the hall, making it into the bathroom and locking the door before Billy even noticed. I kicked the faucet on to hot, and started the struggle to get the blue dress off of her.

It was less than easy. Every time I would grab her clothes, she would smack my hand away forcefully. I snarled, and attempted time after time, and after a moment of holding her one-handed, she managed to break free. I pushed myself against the door and snarled down at her.

"Just get in the water," I said, my eyes full of the rage I was feeling. Why was she being so…_defiant?_

"Force me," she said, her claws scratching at my arms to get out the door. I arched my brow, then narrowed my gaze. If she wanted force, she could get force. I grabbed her arms, which made it easy for her to bite my hand. That did it, she was getting _rough_ force. I lifted her by the one arm I was holding and, simply, dropped her into the tub, dress and all. Water sloshed out of the tub as she sat up, snarling at me and trying to stand.

I reacted before I could think, pressing my hand to her head and forcing her underwater. She flailed for a moment, her hands grasping my wrist, as I contemplated just letting her drown, but I let her up. She sputtered as she gasped for air. I would have leaned back and smirked at her, but then I realized her hands were still tightly wrapped around my wrist, shaking.

Her eyes were wide with fear as her entire body shook. Her breaths were rapid and deep, and then two tears rolled out of her eyes. I cringed as I watched the two droplets crashed into the bath water. My voice seemed to have disappeared. I gently pulled the dress off of her, and hung it on the towel rack to dry. I gently placed a bar of soap in her hand, slipping my wrist out of her shaking grip. I stood, shoved my hands in my pockets, and turned away from her.

"Wash," I managed to say as I walked into the hallway. I leaned my back against the door, sliding down it until I was sitting on the ground. I looked over at my arm, where the shape of her hands was set in a pale ring around my wrist, the scolding wounds disappearing as I stared at them.

What the _hell_ had I just done!? I forced her under water, I could have drowned her; I could have _killed_ her. I sat there for a moment, listening to the light trickling sounds of water from the other side of the door. I would just have to be more careful, because she seemed to be able to anger me the way only one person had been able to before. I shook my head and stood, retrieving a towel and a t-shirt for her to wear. I would have to find some clothes that fit her later.

---

When I walked back into the bathroom, I blinked when I saw her actually scrubbing her skin clean with the bar of soap. By the look of it, she had scrubbed everywhere else and was working on making the ivory skin on her arms perfect. I would have just set the towel and shirt down and left, but her hair was still a matted mess. I sighed, she probably didn't understand the complexity of shampooing.

I moved over and sat on the edge of the tub, she must not have noticed me enter, because when I sat down she dropped the bar of soap with a splash. Her eyes met mine for a moment before they fell away. She hunched over into herself, her arms holding herself as she avoided eye contact with me. I grabbed the bottle of shampoo and squirted it on her head, watching shivers fall over her skin as it ran down her back.

Her body stiffened as my hand fell to her head. I silently let my fingers work through her short black hair, gently massaging her scalp. After a while, she leaned into my hands, her eyes closed as I continued to wash her hair. I sighed, it probably felt like she was being petted. I let my hand fall away from her warm hair.

"Lean back," I said, trying to make my voice a little more soothing. She looked up at me. I calmed more when those sapphire orbs looked up at me with a hint of fear. "Just, put your head in the water." Her eyes widened, and she slouched away from me.

"I…I'm…I…"she began shaking again, and if I wasn't certain it was impossible, I would be afraid she had hypothermia. But those blue orbs hit me again, she was afraid. I couldn't blame her, I had pretty much _drowned her_ a few minutes ago. I put my hand at the top of her back, almost the scruff of her neck and smiled calmly.

"Cover yourself and lie back, I won't let you drown," I promised. She stared at me for a moment, before slowly obeying, her arms crossed over her small chest. I leaned her back so the back of her head was in the water, focusing on rinsing her hair free of the shampoo.

Her eyes were staring at me, almost like she was waiting for me to drop her and push her back into the water. I adjusted to grab the conditioner and I felt her hot hands grab my arm again. I looked back down at her, my eyes serious as I stared into her deep sapphire eyes. I lifted her a little and squirted the conditioner onto her head and gently weaved my fingers through her hair, and felt her grasp on my hands lighten.

"I told you I wouldn't let you drown," I said, as I leaned her back and rinsed the conditioner from her hair. Her face flushed a little and she looked away, her hands falling from my arm. I helped her up and managed, with a little effort, to wrap her in a large towel without looking at her.

She stepped tentatively out of the tub, her pale skin glistening from the water. I cleared my throat as I leaned over the tub, pulling out the stopper. When I stood, rubbing my wet forearms against my now damp jeans, she was still just standing there, sniffing her arm disapprovingly. I sighed.

"What's the matter with you?" I asked shoving my hands in my pockets. She wrinkled her nose and looked up at me.

"I smell…wrong," she said, pulling her hands through her hair. I rolled my eyes and walked over to her, pulling her in so I could sniff the top of her hair. "I smell like _you,_" she explained.

"You smell like _soap,_" I explained as I brushed past her to make my way from the bathroom.

"I don't like it," she retorted. I rolled my eyes.

"Just dry off, put the shirt on, and go to bed," I said, before walking out of the bathroom and shutting the door behind me. I walked into my room and fell, face first, onto my bed, my legs hanging off the side.

This was going to be more difficult than I had anticipated.

---

I must have fallen asleep, because I woke to a dark world, the green numbers on my digital clock shining through the inky blackness of my room. The time was 2:30 A.M. I stood and took off my still damp jeans, pulling some over sized pajama pants on instead. I crawled back into my bed, laying on my back and staring at the ceiling. I don't know how long I was staring at nothing before I heard the light creek of my door.

I lifted myself on my arms to look at the door, where a very small, timid silhouette was standing just inside my door.

"Luna?" I asked, my voice groggy from sleep. I saw her small nodded as she walked closer to my bed-a whopping four feet or so- before she was staring down at me, her blue eyes luminescent in the darkness. "What's wrong?" I asked.

I did feel sorry for the girl; she had had a long day. She had been chased by a vampire who she couldn't kill for god knows how long-and how far- and now she had no way to return to her pack. She stayed silent and shifted into the small space at the top of my bed that was unoccupied. She curled into a ball, hugging her knees to her as she closed her eyes.

Something inside me told me that she was far from comfortable on La Push, and that same something told me she was in here out of loneliness. I let my hand fall to her hair, which had since dried from her bath. I ran my fingers through the smooth locks and closed my eyes, not tired so much as relaxed. After a few moments, she moved closer to me, and I smiled a little into the darkness.

"You don't like being alone, do you?" I asked, still staring at the dark ceiling. She shook her head under my hand. I felt her trying her hardest to stay awake if I was going to speak. "Have you slept yet?" I asked, my eyes moving from the dark ceiling to her face.

"…I couldn't sleep alone," she said. I nodded and let my hand rest on her head as I closed my eyes, the need for a few more hours of sleep falling over me.

"Well, sleep now that you're not alone."

Within minutes I could only hear the even sound of her breathing, and I knew that I would drift into sleep soon. I flipped over, wrapping my arms around her warm body as I inhaled the scent of her hair.

I don't know what she was talking about, she still smelled like the gods.

_All Characters (save _Luna_) © Stephenie Meyer, this was made for recreational purposes, and the writer is not gaining any monetary benefit from this. _


	3. Chapter 3:Explanations

For Life

Jacob/O.C. FanFiction

**Chapter Three: Explanations**

When I awoke, she was still wrapped in my arms, her head tucked under my chin as she nuzzled into me. I glanced at my clock, and seeing that it was already 8:30, I decided to skip school today. She was still sleeping soundly, curled in a ball under my arm with her face buried in my chest. And, despite the bath she took yesterday, she smelled just as strong as she had before. I pulled her into me, nuzzling into her soft hair as her scent filled me, when I heard her stir from her slumber. She moved her head a little, and I looked down on sleep-filled eyes, dark blue under her hooded lids. She was probably still tired.

"'Morning," I said, moving back so she could get out of the bed if she wanted, moving my arm from it's position across her side. She looked over at me, then past me to the small window where the morning light was shining through the cracks of my blinds.

"Is it?" she asked, sitting up a little. My over sized shirt was slipping from her slim shoulders again, as I lightly reached up to pull the cloth back over her pale skin.

"Yeah, it's 8:30, actually" I said, glancing back at my clock. "Well, 8:34…." She detangled herself from the small spot on my bed and stood, stretching her arms out before walking out of the room. I sat up, curious to where she went for a moment. When I heard the toilet flush and the sink running, I quirked my brow; she didn't know how to open a car door, but she knew how to use the bathroom?

She walked back in, rubbing her wet hands on her shirt-or rather, my shirt- and then leaned against my closed door, still a few feet from me.

"How did you know how to do that?" I asked, actually curious for once. She blinked, then looked past me out the window again.

"…I don't know, I just did," she said, before her stomach started growling. She cringed and wrapped her arms around her stomach. I laughed. I moved past her, holding her arm as I tugged her into the kitchen. I whirled her into one of the seats at the small table, which Billy had kindly added another chair to, and watched her confusion.

"I'll make breakfast," I said, opening the refrigerator and fishing out a pack of bacon, eggs, and bread. I placed them on the counter, and then fished out a frying pan.

She sat quietly, watching every move I made with curiosity. She was like a child, she didn't know anything. I quickly turned on the burner and placed the pan over the flames, cracking four eggs into the pan at once.

"Come here," I said. She obeyed quickly, standing next to me as I watched the eggs fry. I looked over at her and smiled as she eyed the eggs, her expression confused. I could have laughed. "Make the toast, I'll show you how." She nodded.

I grabbed two pieces of bread and handed them to her. She stared at them, then back at me. I pointed to the toaster.

"Put the slices of bread in the slots, and then push down on the lever in the front," I explained. She could handle making toast; a three year old could handle making toast. I watched out of the corner of my eye as she sniffed the bread, then dropped the slices into the toaster before pushing down on the lever. "Good, now wait for it to pop up." She nodded.

I cooked in silence for a moment, flipping the eggs then sliding them onto two separate plates. I tossed some bacon into the pan and waited. I spun around, leaning against the counter and watched her. She was concentrating on the toaster, waiting for it to pop. I'm sure she was watching out of curiosity. When the toast popped up, she let out a small yelp and jumped back. I laughed.

"Did it scare you?" I asked, before turning and pushing the finished pieces of bacon onto the plates. She glared, then grabbed the two pieces of toast and held them out to me. I put one on each plate and walked over to the table. "Sit," I said, nodding towards the empty seat across from mine.

She obeyed quickly, and, as I placed a fork in front of her, looked at me oddly. I sighed and took her fork, placing it back in the drawer before I sat across from her. I speared some eggs with my fork and plopped them into my mouth. She watched me eat for a while, and I arched my brow at her. She was hungry, I knew she was hungry.

"What's wrong? Eat," I said. She stared at me like I had just grown horns. "What?"

"Shouldn't I wait until _you're_ finished?" she asked, her eyes glittering in confusion. I blinked back at her.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because, you're higher than I am," she said. I blinked again.

"_What_?" I said, putting my fork down.

"In the pack," she explained, "You're of higher rank, so you eat your fill, then I get what's left over…."

Oh, right…the wolf thing. I smiled calmly to her, did she really think she was that _low_ on the chain? Did she really lead herself to believe that my pack was so decided among its peers? I mean, yes, there was Sam who we all recognized as the leader, who we all went to, but that was more a test of seniority than it was importance.

"I'm not of higher rank," I said, pushing her plate towards her. "We _don't_ rank, we're all equal. You are on the same level as I am." She arched her brow at me, but didn't say anything before she quietly picked up a piece of bacon and tossed it into her mouth. I saw her make a face, one that was either disgust or confusion as she chewed and swallowed the piece before placing another in her mouth, still completely silent. The meal continued in this was before her light voice broke through.

"Do you really believe that?" she asked, her eyes looking through her dark hair. They were shimmering, and bright, almost like she was trying to see through _me_ as she stared through her black locks.

"Believe what?" I asked, my eyes narrowing towards her.

"That you're pack…that everyone is equal in it…" she explained. I blinked. Of course I believed it, it was true, everyone in the pack was the same, other than Sam. Weren't they? I glared a little, how _dare _she assume that my pack was divided within itself. We were better than that, we weren't animals.

"Of course they are," I said haughtily. She looked over at me, then quietly laughed. Seeing her smile and laugh was a sight to behold; her laugh was silvery, like a clear bell, and when she laughed, it echoed through her entire being, shining through her eyes.

If it wasn't that she was laughing at me, I might have instantly been quelled.

"Why are you laughing at that?" I snarled.

"Because," she said, her eyes reflecting the defiance that she had held yesterday, "it's funny how blinded you all can become from living among humans."

I growled, my hand slamming onto the table as I stood. She jumped, but her expression remained the same defiant scowl she had had for the past few moments.

"We don't live _among_ humans, we are human!" I screamed, feeling my blood boiling under my anger. She stood, her voice changing into a growl. It wasn't intimidating, but it was _something._ It made my tempers flare, how _dare_ she growl at me!? Me, when I was being patient with her, giving her my home and allowing her to _live!_ She had no _right_ to live if she wouldn't listen to me on something like this.

"If you're so _human_," she snarled, and I could watch the blood rise through her body, changing her pale skin to a light pink, "then why are you acting like an _animal_." I growled again, she smirked. "A _human_ wouldn't be contemplating killing me for being insubordinate, which I know you _are_."

My hands fell to my side as my mouth hung open. How did she know that?

"No," she said, answering the question I hadn't asked, "I _can't_ read your mind, not in this form, but that doesn't mean I don't know what you're thinking." I felt my eyes change, as I moved away from the table, leaning against the counter. "Males animals all function the same way," she said, her voice coming down from the enraged growl it had been earlier, "Just because I'm female, you think that you have some right to control me, and you _hate_ that I have choices, don't you? You _hate_ that I disobey you, and you would rather see me _dead_ than deal with the fact that I won't agree with everything you say and do. That proves that you're an _animal_," She turned and walked from the room, leaning against the door to outside as she whispered so low that I doubted she wanted me to hear it. "_Humans_ know how to hide it better."

I stalked from the kitchen to the bathroom, slamming the door behind me and leaning against it. Having her around was starting to scare me, and I didn't know if it was because she accused me of being a monster, or because she was right.

---

I sighed as I leaned against the wall of my shower, the warm water sliding down my body. It was refreshing to finally be in a part of the house where my brain could be clear, where I wasn't preoccupied with her scent or her temper. I groaned.

This was becoming more of a hassle than she was worth, and it had only been a day. I grabbed my shampoo and worked it through my hair, wondering if I could explain this to Sam and Billy without making it sound like a stupid child. '_I don't like her, she called me a bully_' somehow didn't seem like it would fly with those two. And, getting her out of the house was something that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and set of a deep, angry reaction through me.

And what made it worse, was that everything she said about me was true. I _was_ angry because she didn't obey me, I _was_ angry that she could be so ungrateful that I was allowing her to live. But, I shouldn't be thinking that way. It wasn't my right to decide if she could live or die, it wasn't even _near_ my right.

But it wasn't because she was a female-woman, she wasn't an animal. She may want to believe that we were, but I knew she wasn't. She was a woman, not a female wolf; she had a conscience, she had fears, she had joys, she had emotions deeper than just instinct. We all did. That's what separates us from _real_ animals, like bloodsuckers. I rinsed my hair and body, then turned off the now lukewarm water. We weren't animals, but we weren't human either.

---

I walked through the house, my hair still wet from my shower. My pajama pants were baggy, and since I seemed to be doomed to a life of shirtless-ness, I might as well get used to it. As I looked through the rooms, I couldn't find Luna. I glanced out the screen door, and there she was, sitting just outside, her legs brought up to her chest as she stared off at the horizon; time for a peace offering.

I walked outside and sat next to her, handing her a can of coke and sitting next to her. She took the cold can, and observed it before setting it on the ground next to her silently. I rolled my eyes and popped open my can, which caused her to jump.

"It's pop," I explained, taking a sip from it. She nodded before glancing back at the horizon. Her eyes seemed so distant, so…melancholy that it almost hurt to focus on her face. "Look…" I said, trying my best to word this without sounding like a complete idiot, "…I-"

"I apologize," she said before I could finish. I blinked over at her, and her blue eyes stared at me from the corners. "I'm not used to this…interaction thing; you could say that I have really, _really_ bad 'people skills.'" I suppressed a laugh.

"I think 'bad' is an understatement, you have _horrible_ people skills, but I was going to say I was sorry, because I _don't_, so I shouldn't be acting so…"

"Animalistic?" she offered. I glared a little, but tried my hardest to not let her get to me. I wasn't an animal.

"…Yeah," I said, before quietly taking another sip of my coke. She didn't say anything for a while as we both stared off at the horizon. Though, I was certain that we were looking at different things.

The way we were facing, if I focused hard enough, I could see the end of La Push and the beginning of Forks. And I could picture _her_, sitting with her little lover-leech. It was aggravating, but leashing that anger was nothing compared with leashing the anger that Luna erupted in me. It was like a completely new _degree_ of pissed.

And besides, at this point, thinking of _her_ hurt more than it angered me. I glanced over at Luna, suddenly highly curious to her thoughts.

"What do you think about; when you stare off at the horizon like that?" I asked. She sighed, then looked over at me, her blue orbs echoing the sadness that she no doubt felt. She looked away, and rested her head on her knees.

"My pack…former pack…" she said, closing her eyes. "Wondering about them, if they're feeding well, if they've found a place to den the new cubs for the cold seasons, things like that. Basically, I think about whether they're going to survive." She opened her eyes, which were now filled with tears, "It hurts to imagine that they might not, despite what they did." I nodded, and resisted the urge to pet her hair. I decided to concentrate on my coke while I talked to her.

"You seem to care about them a lot," I said. She laughed.

"It's a one-sided human defect, I assure you," she said, a bit of remorse in her voice. She was trying to lighten the pain, but it just sounded pathetic coming from her soft voice.

"Why can't you return to them?" I asked, hoping it didn't sound like I wanted her gone. I didn't, I was mildly glad to have her here, where I could keep tabs on her, but all the same, it was obvious that she wanted to be with her pack, her _family_. Her eyes lowered, and a few wayward tears fell from behind her thick lashes.

"They…got rid of me," she said in a soft whisper. I couldn't look away anymore, as I stared at her. "When the hunter showed up, she killed a few of my pack," she explained, "she made it very clear that _I _was the reason she was there, and that she would kill any who defended me. The leader, my…mother, so to speak, decided that I was officially putting the pack in too much danger. When the hunter attacked me, they sat idly by, knowing that if they didn't act, she would leave them in peace. They…_walked away from me_," she said, her body shaking as tears fell from her eyes. She covered her face in her arms, her small body erupting in tremors.

I stopped resisting. I pulled her into my arms, wrapping myself around her. I don't really know why I did it, but it was an overwhelming _need_ to protect her, to keep her from crying. Hearing her voice tremor with tears, and seeing tears roll out of those sapphire eyes was like something was stabbing me repeatedly, it was too much to take. She stiffened as I took her in my arms, pulling her onto my lap, but after a moment, she relaxed into my chest, her small, warm body pressed against mine. We sat like that in silence for a moment before I decided to speak.

"I'm…sorry," I said, resting my face against the back of her neck.

"What for?" she asked, her hands lightly touching my arms which were wrapped around her shoulders. I could feel the tension rising in her body, then I realized that she had probably never been held like this before. I couldn't say I didn't feel the same, I'd never _held_ anyone other than…her this close before.

"I'm sorry that your family…abandoned you," I said. She stiffened a little, before pulling away from me. I could have easily made her stay, but if she was getting uncomfortable, I'd let her go. She sat next to me, pulling her knees to her chest again. We stayed silent for a moment, before she picked up my coke can and sniffed it. I almost laughed when she drank some, and instantly shook her head, rubbing her nose. She coughed a little, then wiggled her nose a little before looking up at me, tears in her eyes from the burn of the coke.

"What _is_ that!?" she asked. I laughed.

"Pop," I said, taking the can back from her and taking the final swig. "It _pops._"

"It _burns_," she said. I stood and dusted off my pants, turning to go back inside. I stopped, then turned back to her, holding my hand out. I half expected her to refuse it, to stand on her own and look at me like I was crazy, but, when she placed her small, warm hand in mine, I smiled lightly as I helped her off the ground. I grumbled, she was still wearing my t-shirt from yesterday.

"I really need to get you some clothes," I said as we walked inside. She looked down at the shirt, pulling it away from her a little, then letting it fall back against her. I knew she wanted to ask why, but she didn't, as I walked into the kitchen, still needing to clear the table and do the dishes from breakfast. She walked back towards my room, and stopped at the doorway.

"Jake?" she called.

"Yeah?" I answered, peeking my head out from the kitchen. She looked over at me, then back at the ground.

"Thank you…" she said, before walking into my room. I could hear her fall onto the bed. I smiled to myself.

"You're welcome."

_All Characters (save _Luna_) © Stephenie Meyer, this was made for recreational purposes, and the writer is not gaining any monetary benefit from this. _


	4. Chapter 4:Confrontations and Confessions

For Life

Jacob/O.C. FanFiction.

**Chapter Four: Confrontations**

I sat back on the couch, flipping through channels absently on the TV as Luna rested next to me, her head in my lap as I absently pat her hair. It was odd, in the couple of weeks she had been staying with us, it became obvious to everyone-and everything- that there were little inhibitions between us. At least, that's what it probably looked like to everyone else. My pack understood enough, seeing as everyone had adopted her as their little sister, so to speak, taking turns teaching her random things, petting her when she did good things.

I shifted, and she lifted her head a little to look up at me. Her expression was confusion, probably at why I was being so shifty. I smiled sheepishly before looking back at the TV. She nuzzled into my thigh and closed her eyes, as TV didn't really amuse her.

"Jake?" came a call from the doorway, my eyes glanced up, as did Luna's. Embry and Quil stalked through the door, and smiled at us. Well, Embry's smile was a little bitter.

"Hey guys," I said, motioning to the empty spots on the couch and the chair. Quil sat on the other side of Luna and Embry too the arm chair to the left of me.

"Hello Quil, Embry," said Luna politely; sitting up so there was more room on the couch. Quil smiled.

"Hey, Luna. What are you two up to?" asked Quil, as his eyes found the same boring program mine were glued to.

"Nothing, Billy won't be back until late tonight—I think he's out with Charlie," I said, nibbling on my bottom lip a little. I really didn't like having to say Charlie's name, brought up too many memories. Quil nodded and smiled over at Luna.

"Good, Sam wants everyone at the ledge in a little to go diving," he said happily. The group hadn't been cliff diving in a while, but my eyes hardened and looked over at Quil.

"Is he serious? Luna can't go cliff diving," I said, my brain thinking back to the first night she was with me. I had told Sam, he knew how afraid of drowning she was, and I couldn't risk anything happening to her. Quil frowned, and looked away.

"Sam said you'd say that…he said that he wanted Luna, and that she had to come with." I was shaking as I stood, happy as Luna followed suit, standing behind me. I angled myself so that she was behind me, and I could feel her small, warm hands bracing against my arms.

"She's not going, end of discussion," I said. Just then, as if on cue, the phone rang. I grabbed Luna, dragging her into the kitchen as I pulled the receiver off of the wall. "Hello?" I said harshly, not really caring who was calling me.

"Ah, Jake," I nearly snarled at Sam's voice as it rang through the phone. He _laughed_, "I'm judging by that response that I didn't manage to beat Quil and Embry."

"She's not going," I barked.

"Yes, she is. I need to see if she can hold her own, and since she's so afraid of drowning, I'm testing her loyalty to me," said Sam matter-of-factly.

"I don't give a damn about her holding her own or her fucking loyalty, she's not going!" I snarled, my hand shaking as it held the receiver, it would be _so_ easy for me to smash the phone right now.

"She's coming, and so are you."

"No, she's n—"

"That wasn't a question."

The phone went dead on the other side. I snarled, placing the phone on the hook. This wasn't good, this wasn't good at all. I felt a small warm hand press against my arm as I looked over, Luna's sapphire eyes staring at me through her messy black locks. I gently pushed her hair out of her face, and she smiled warmly at me.

"C'mon, we've got to go," I said to her. She just nodded and trailed behind me as I stalked through the living room, catching a small glance of a knowing smirk that Quil gave me. I squeezed my hand around Luna's, my brain suddenly rushing with images of the worst-case scenario.

---

I sat on the edge of the cliff, Luna not too far behind me as I stared over the edge into the small river below. It was windy today, and the water was choppy. I cringed, I didn't want her going into that water, not now, not ever. The others were a few feet away, taking turns jumping into the water and coming back. Sam was sitting on the other side of them, his eyes traveling over to Luna and I. He stood and brushed himself off before walking over to Luna and I, everyone else in toe.

"Well, now that the crowds all warmed up," the boys laughed. I glared. "let's get this started. Luna, stand up please," he asked, rather nicely.

I cringed a little when she listened, standing and staring at Sam. I stood and sulked to the back of the crowd, my hands buried in my pockets as I focused on kicking a stone into the dirt. I didn't like this; I didn't like this at all. I barely paid attention to their exchange of words.

"So, Luna, can you swim?"

"Not well," she answered. I heard the boys laugh, I just made it sick.

"Well, I want you to jump into the water," said Sam calmly. There was a pause, a long pause. I looked up, and found Luna staring at Sam as if he were a moron.

"But, I can not swim," she said calmly. Sam's smile faded.

"Jump anyway," he said. The way he said it gave us chills, and I knew that even Luna felt it when she took a step back from him. I smiled and looked back at my feet, kicking the rock again.

"That's…suicidal…"she said. Sam stepped closer to her, and I heard her take another step back.

"Do it," he commanded. I expected to hear her defiant words, but I heard nothing for a moment. I heard rocks crumble, then a loud, ear-splitting scream as I looked up. My eyes focused just in time to see her pale hand disappear over the edge of the cliff.

"Luna!" I shrieked as I pushed through my brothers, running to the edge of the cliff. Sam's strong, warm hand grabbed my shoulder as I brushed past him. I turned to him, my eyes glaring. "Let me go!" I snarled.

"She can save herself," Sam said, his eyes staring at me, commanding me to stay. I couldn't disobey him. My arms shook as I looked back at the edge, my mind moving a mile a minute as I watched the edge. I couldn't defy Sam, I couldn't break this delicate family dynamic that Sam had welcomed me into. But, if I didn't, Luna would die. Luna would…_die._

"No, she can't," I said, wrenching my arm from Sam's grasp and diving over the edge. By the time I hit the water, I couldn't see her. I kicked my legs as I went deeper, deeper, and finally, I saw her pale skin against the dark water. I reached out to her, wrapping my arms around her small waist before pushing myself to the surface. She was limp.

"Luna? Luna!?" I said, kicking us to shore as I gently brushed her hair away from her face. Her face was so pale, and her lips were blue. Her normally warm body was freezing to touch as I pulled her onto one of the landings, gently rubbing her hands between mine. I didn't know what to do, she wasn't breathing. Her hands were so _cold_…

I heard a few shocked expressions as Sam and Embry slid down the cliff, landing next to us. I pulled her close to me, as my hands grabbed her chest. I didn't know what to do, but I didn't want _them_ touching her. Sam's eyes softened as he moved towards us, and I hunched over her, growling at him. I _growled_ at Sam. I wasn't thinking, I didn't know what to do, but I knew that they couldn't touch her, couldn't help her. They were the ones who had hurt her, it was their fault my Luna-_my_ Luna- was dead.

_Dead_. The word stung to think, and when they said it, it would sting even more. I looked down at her pale face, her blue lips and I felt tears swell in my eyes as I pulled her body closer to mine, burying my face in the crook of her cold neck. No, no, _no._ I couldn't hear anything, I couldn't feel anything, nothing but devastation in the pit of my chest. I wasn't even angry. It was my fault, _I _couldn't save her.

I couldn't rescue her when she needed me.

I felt a warm touch on my shoulder, and I snarled up at whoever it was, meeting with Quil's soft eyes. He said something, something I couldn't understand, but I looked back down at Luna and the tears slid down my face. Somehow, Quil managed to detangle her from me and I whimpered when her tiny body didn't fight back.

Sam loomed over her, then pressed his hands to her chest. I snarled, the hair on my body rising; when he pushed his lips to her mouth, I lunged towards him. Quil and Embry tackled me to the ground, holding me still. I was going to _kill_ Sam, I was going to tear him to shreds and enjoy every minute of it for touching _my_ Luna.

"Let me go!" I screamed, trying to push myself off the ground. "I'll kill him, I'll kill him! Stop _touching_ HER!" I barked, feeling my blood boil under my skin.

"Jake, shut _up_," said Embry, and I was about ready to rip his throat out. That is, until I heard a sputtering cough and weak gasps from in front of me. The tension in my body melted as I watched Luna curl into a ball, coughing water out of her lungs as she shivered on the ground. Quil and Embry's arms fell away from mine and I was next to Luna in an instant.

"L-Luna?" I asked, reaching my hand out to her. She looked up at me, her blue eyes sparkling as she stared at me, then her eyes filled with tears. I wanted to laugh, I wanted to cry, I wanted to pull her into me and never let her go.

I settled for the latter. I wrapped my arms around her small, shaking body, feeling her instantly warm against my skin. We were both wet, and I didn't care. I gently pet the back of her head as she cried against me, and my eyes met with Sam's. His brown eyes were apologetic, but I didn't care. Right now, all that mattered was that she was alive and fine, even if she was freezing and crying. I stood, scooping her into my arms and smiling to myself as she wrapped her arms around my neck, shivering into me.

"Jacob…" said Sam cautiously as I moved past him. I stopped and looked at him, my eyes glaring into his. We stood that way for a moment before I decided to finally say what I had been thinking.

"If you _ever_ put her in that much danger again, I'll kill you myself."

I could virtually hear his pulse rise in anger. I virtually didn't care.

---

It was already dusk by the time we returned to the house, and when I saw the beat up old truck in the driveway, my heart sank. Why was she here, why was she _here?_ I felt Luna cling to my neck, and I looked down at her and smiled. I placed her on the ground, and took her hand in mine as we walked into the living room.

"Hello?" I froze at the sight I saw.

"Hey, Jake," said a soft voice. There she was, her dark hair pulled back into a sloppy ponytail, her pale, heart-shaped face smiling cautiously at me. Her brown eyes were framed by thick lashes as she smiled at me, and I felt my heart skip. My grasp on Luna's hand tightened as I evaded her gaze, my eyes landing on Charlie. I forced a smile to come across my face.

"Bella," I said, looking over at her again. Charlie smiled oddly at me, was he really _so _pleased that Bella came with him down to La Push instead of gallivanting around with the bloodsuckers? I heard a small cough from behind me, and I turned and looked over my shoulder.

Luna's nose was wrinkled in disgust as she buried her nose in her hand. I laughed a little, before pulling her hand away from her nose and spinning her out in front of Charlie and Bella, making it very obvious that I was holding her hand.

"Charlie, Bella, this is Luna," I said. Luna looked up at me, shocked that I had been so _friendly_, and to be honest, I was shocked too. She turned to look at them and nodded her head politely. Charlie smiled awkwardly at her, his eyes falling from the hopeful smile he had had a few seconds ago. Bella just smiled, happily from the looks of it, and stood to introduce herself.

"Hi, Luna, I'm Bella, Jake's friend," she said, stretching her hand out to Luna. It was a strange sight, seeing Bella actually _taller_ than someone. Luna looked at me, then softly took Bella's hand. Bella smiled, but within a minute Luna recoiled. "What's wrong?" Luna looked at her, almost like she was surprised Bella didn't know.

"…You _smell_," said Luna quietly. I had to stop myself from laughing. Bella blinked, then sniffed her wrist.

"No, I don't…" she said, a bit confused. I laughed. So did Billy. Charlie just looked confused.

"Actually, I agree with Luna," I said, wrapping my arm around Luna's shoulder. I pulled her into me, sniffed her wet hair, and fake recoiled. "Whoops, we're wrong, I think that's _us_." I lied, it was Bella, Luna and I could both smell the leaches on her. Charlie looked like he was about to ask a stupid question, luckily, Billy interrupted him.

"Why are the two of you _soaking wet_?" Oh, god bless my father. I smiled awkwardly as Charlie and Bella both seemed to have just noticed our current predicament. Luna looked up at me, but I shook my head. She nodded, then went back to examining

"Uh, we went diving with the guys," I said, smiling, "and, if you'll excuse us, we're going to go get changed into some wet clothes." With that, I tugged Luna into my bedroom, happy at the confused gaze Bella and Charlie gave us.

---

I shut the door behind us and leaned against the door, sliding down the white wood until I was sitting on the floor. I closed my eyes, placing my head in my hands. That was strange, that was weird, and that was awkward. I didn't want to have Bella in my _house_, let alone when Luna was there. Billy would refuse her when he was alone with her, but with _Charlie_ there? He couldn't very well say that Bella couldn't come for a visit.

"Jacob…?" I heard timidly from in front of me. I opened my brown eyes, and they immediately met with the deep sapphire gaze of Luna. Her face was worried, and inches away from mine. Her scent wafted over me, and I pressed myself back against the door, trying to put some space between us. She smelled so good, it made something in the depths of my stomach lurch and my brain swim, it made me want to do _things_ to her, things that shouldn't be done.

"Luna," I said, hoping that she would take the hint and move further away from me. Instead, she moved a bit closer, leaning in so she could stare at me. I swallowed the lump that was forming in my throat, she looked inquisitive again.

"Jake…is Bella your…_mate_?" she asked, tilting her head to the side a little. I blinked and stared at her, "the mate that left?"

"What? No. Bella isn't my…anything," I said, looking away from her prying blue eyes. "I-I've never had a…mate."

"Do you _want_ her to be your mate?" she asked. I thought for a moment. Had this question arose months ago my answer would have been clear; Yes, more than anything. I would have jumped at the opportunity to take Bella and claim her as my own, to make sure that she was mine and only mine. Months ago, I would have declared my unconditional love for Bella at the top of every roof in North America if I had to.

But, that was before a lot of things happened. That was before I found out what I was, that was before I found out how dangerous I was. That was before I knew that she was happily attached to her bloodsuckers; that was before I knew that she would never leave him; that was before I knew so many things about my world that I know now. I was silent for a while, and I looked back at Luna.

She was looking at me, her blue orbs sparkling with a deep set fear. Her eyes fell from mine, and I recognized the fear. I smiled a little to myself. It was a different fear than the one that had reflected in her eyes when she had almost drowned, it was a different fear than the one she had when the vampire was chasing her. This was a fear I could easily protect her from, a fear I could permanently quell.

I brought my hand to her face, gently cupping her cheek in my warm hands. She nuzzled into my palm, her shimmering blue eyes finding my again as she raised her hand to mine. I smiled at her, then pulled her closer, lightly closing the gap between our lips. Her lips were warm and soft, perfect under mine as I felt her stiffen and try to pull away. I held her tightly, pulling her closer to me, my other arm wrapping around her waist, pressing her to my body. I felt her shiver against me and finally relaxed, her small hands grasping my shirt tightly.

I let her head go, still holding her to my body as she opened her eyes slowly, biting her lip nervously. Apparently, that hadn't registered as my answer. I smiled softly, gently pushing a few wayward strands of hair from her pale face.

"No, I don't want Bella to be my mate," I said. Her eyes sparkled as she smiled quaintly, her eyes darting away from mine. I smiled and pressed my forehead to hers, watching as her blue eyes met my own. "Luna, I want _you _" I whispered. Her eyes widened as she pulled away from me a little, her face flushed a light shade of pink.

"…What?" she asked, trying to pull away from me. Was she afraid? I tightened my grasp on her waist as she struggled to get away from me. "No…"

"What's wrong?" I asked, as she tried half-heartedly to free herself from me. "Isn't…isn't that what you wanted to hear?" She looked up at me, her eyes wide with fear and confusion, then she let her head fall and shook her head.

"I just…I just didn't want her to take you away from me," she said. Tears started streaming down her cheeks, and I sighed. Girls were illogical, and it apparently wasn't just because of culture, it was purely natural. I gently rubbed the tears away from her cheeks.

"Luna, that's what I'm saying," I said, forcing her to look up at me. "I will never leave you, when I thought I lost you today, it was the single most painful and terrifying event of my life, and I will never let that happen again." I gently kissed her forehead. She shook her head and pulled away from me.

"No, you can't…" she said, before she stood and moved away from me, pressing herself against the far wall. She was crying, holding herself in her arms and looking away from me. "You just can't say that…."

"Why? Luna, don't you get it? I lo-"

"STOP IT!" Fuck. I stared at her, biting my lip to hold back a painful mixture of fury and sadness. I moved closer to her, reaching out my hand. Just to touch her, that's all I wanted, to comfort her, to protect her. I gently placed my hand on her shoulder, but she wrenched herself away, her deep blue eyes glaring at me through her spiked lashes. "Don't touch me." I cringed as she barked those words at me, before moving away from her. She stood and made her way past me, and I heard the door to my sisters' room shut.

I stayed on the floor of my room, leaning against my bed. I felt a few tears well up in my eyes, she hated me. She didn't want me, she didn't…. I fell back onto the floor, pressing my palms to my forehead. Why did I say it? I could have just gone about my _normal_ business and _not_ pushed her away, but _noooooo_, I had to go and _confess_. And get rejected.

It was painful. It was painful because if anyone had asked my months ago if I wanted Bella, or even loved Bella, I would have said yes. But, that was before I met Luna. And, now, Luna, the only thing I _cared_ about in my life at this point, didn't want me near her.

I _hate_ the female psyche.

_All Characters (save _Luna_) © Stephenie Meyer, this was made for recreational purposes, and the writer is not gaining any monetary benefit from this. _


	5. Chapter 5: Abandoned

**Chapter Five: Abandoned**

I couldn't sleep. For some reason, without her curled in a ball next to me, it was too…lonely. My bed was too empty without her warmth, my room was too quiet without her breathing, and my nights were too lonely without my Luna. I sat up in my bed, my eyes shifting over the dark corners. I hadn't gone back out, and Charlie and Bella had disappeared without my knowledge, as my mind was till racing over the events of the day.

Somehow, through all that had happened today, I had managed to lose her, get her back, confess to her, and lose her again; all that in about five or so hours. I would have to fix it, I would have to. I couldn't deal with this, I needed her around me. Somehow, in all the mishaps of the day, I had realized just how much I really needed her with me, how accustom I had become to her warm hands in mine, her small frame pushed against me as we slept.

Unless I could convince her to come in here, I would die of insomnia.

I stood off my bed and crossed the room, my hand resting on the door. I felt odd, like I shouldn't go looking for her out there; like she wouldn't be there. I took a breath and opened the door to the outside world. The hallway was dark, and I could hear Billy snoring in his room. I walked down the hall quietly, and gently turned the door to my sister's room, expecting to see her sitting there, just as awake as I, her cool blue eyes reflecting in the darkness.

But, I met an empty room; an empty room and an open window.

"Luna?" I called out cautiously. There was no answer. I flicked on the light, and all I saw was my t-shirt, folded neatly on the bed. I picked it up, and held it to my face, inhaling her scent. She was gone. I felt tears come to my eyes as I leaned against the doorframe, gently sliding down it until I was seated on the ground, my shirt in my arms, the light scent it gave off the only proof that she had ever existed.

She was _gone._

I felt my heart break.

---

"Luna!" I called as I rushed out the back door of the house. It was the middle of the night, and it was times like these that I was happy that everyone on La Push was so asleep, a hurricane couldn't wake them. I needed to find her, I needed her here. I know, it was rude of me to think that she would come back willingly, but she was all I wanted, all I needed.

I sniffed the air, finding a faint scent of her, but not enough to follow; not enough for my unskilled nose to find. I needed help, I needed lots of help. I was in front of Sam's door in minutes, and, to my luck, it was open, lights on inside and laughter heard from the family room. I panted, catching my breath as best I could; I had never run faster in my life to get there.

The stares I got when I walked in the door were hurtful, and they were terrifying all at the same time. The living room was full, all of my brothers there, sitting, watching something on TV, each with a pop in hand. Paul stood, as he was closest to me, and looked down on me with concern. Sam remained seated, calm.

"I need your help, guys…" I said, my voice cracking like a child's. They each exchanged glances, their expressions ranging from weary to cautious to downright anger. I bowed my head, ashamed that I was _begging_ for their help after I had practically told them all off, said all I needed was Luna and disobeyed my leader.

"Jake…where's Luna?" came a soft voice from the kitchen. Emily was standing there, drying a dish in her apron. I bit my lip and looked away from everyone, trying to hide the fear and terror in my eyes.

"I…I don't know…" I said, my voice shaky and soft. I hadn't been this unsure of anything in nearly a year, I hadn't been so ashamed or upset of anything in a long time. "…I need your help, please, I need to find her." I looked up from the ground, my eyes meeting with Sam's. I begged without words, hoping to convey the dire necessity of my situation without having to speak too much. Sam looked up at me, and sighed before standing and walking over to me. He clapped his hand on my shoulder, then looked away.

"She's not on La Push, we can't do anything about it, Jake," he said calmly. I looked up at him, my eyes wide.

"You knew she was leaving…?" I asked, wanting to take a step back from him. Sam nodded.

"I felt her leave, I knew she was leaving, and I couldn't stop her, Jake, she's not one of us," he explained. My mind was frantic, I was lost. I needed help from my brothers, and I was being told there was nothing I could do; nothing they could do.

"Please, just come searching with me, that's all you need to do…just help me find her," I said pleadingly. "I…I'm not strong enough to find her on my own…."

"Why didn't you stop her?" I turned, and my eyes fell on Embry, who was standing beside me, his stance defensive, his eyes hard as they stared at Sam. Sam looked over at him, his expression just as serious as Embry's.

"She's not one of us, she's her own," said Sam, his eyes glaring in a way that made all of us, Embry included, want to back down and cower. Quil came to stand on my other side.

"You should have at least tried, for Jake," said Quil.

"Just like we should have tried to protect the vampire-lover for Jake?" asked Sam. Quil and Embry looked away, but now I stood full. So that's how he felt? That's why he's been so tough on me; he doesn't want to associate with me because I associate with Bella, who, unfortunately, associates with bloodsuckers.

"Yes, you should have, because I'm your brother," I said before turning to leave. "I'll find her without you if you're so reluctant to help those outside of your own _family_." No one tried to stop me as I left.

---

I ran back to the house as fast as I could and jumped into the car. I was alone, I had to find Luna on my own, and there was nothing I could do to stop that fact. I would search forever if I had to. But, that was unrealistic, I didn't have _forever_. I looked up, my rear-view mirror giving me a perfect view of the dark horizon.

I didn't have forever, but I knew there were…_people_ who did, people who had stronger senses than I did. I jammed my key in the ignition and threw my car into reverse, swerving my rabbit around before shoving in the clutch and kicking into third gear, then fourth, then fifth. I was speeding as I drove like a maniac out of La Push, then down into Forks. It was so late, I was certain I would have to wake her when I got there. I parked in the woods, about a mile from Charlie's house so I could avoid suspicion. I darted through the darkness and skidded to a stop behind Charlie's house, and, to my surprise and delight, the light was on in Bella's room.

I climbed up the tree, I'm not even sure how I did without much effort, but I managed. Before I could reach out and tap her window, it flung open. I snarled as my nostrils filled with the cold, dead scent of my natural enemy.

"What are you doing here?" Edward Cullen snarled back. He was standing protectively against Bella's window, denying me entry. Bella poked her head around from behind Edward, her eyes groggy and her hair messy as she focused on me.

"Jake…?" she asked questioningly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Edward, let him in…" she said, shoving against Cullen. He didn't budge.

"What are you _doing here_?" he snarled again. My eyes fell away from him, trying to wipe the disgust and anger from my face as I looked back at the bloodsucker before me. He was pale and cold, like marble, and I didn't understand why anyone ever would find him attractive, but that wasn't my place to judge. I was their hunter, not their prey. But, right now, I was balanced—badly, I might add—in a tree, unfortunately, at Cullen's mercy.

"I…I need your help…" I said, forcing myself to swallow the obvious disgust in my voice as I looked back at Cullen, then at Bella. "…Both of you."

---

"So, she left?" asked Bella as she sat on her bed, Cullen positioned protectively beside her. Cullen glared at me when we met eyes, and I slowly nodded at Bella.

"I can't track her, my senses aren't…strong enough, I need to find her, Bella, I don't know what I'll do if I don't," I replied. Cullen snarled.

"Why can't you ask one of your puppy-pals?" he barked. I glared.

"They won't help me, please, I know this is…wrong, but I need your help," I pleaded. Bella's large brown eyes met with mine, and, I can actually say they didn't effect me in anyway other than the way a sister's would. She studied my features, contemplating to herself; I could see it in her eyes that she was trying to figure out if I could be trusted. It burned, to know that she had to think about whether I was telling her the truth or not.

"Fine, I'll help you," she said, a soft smile playing on her heart shaped face. I smiled, but Cullen positioned himself between Bella and I. "Edward…" she said calmly, looking up at him. His eyes never left me. It was weird, because I knew he could hear my thoughts, I knew he could see that I wasn't lying—and I knew he could see how I felt about Luna.

"…Please…_Edward_," I said, gritting my teeth as I called him by his name. I saw the stone muscles in his lip twitch; apparently he didn't like the familiarity any more than I did. My eyes hardened, reasoning with him was harder than I thought it would be. "…What would you do, if you were in my position?" I mumbled, soft enough that I knew Bella wouldn't have caught it, but Cullen's eyes flickered over to Bella, instantly softened, then landed on me again.

For a split second, in his flickering eyes, I could see why humans would call him beautiful. His eyes, when they weren't enraged, were like a filtering swirl of topaz. His ashen hair was beautiful too, if I had to think so, and his features weren't _disgusting_ to most, it was probably just me and my brethren who found him and his kind repulsive. My gaze didn't leave his as I stared back at him, not bothering to speak. He could hear my thoughts, he knew that all I really cared about right now was Luna; even the difference between our people could wait if it meant I could find her.

"_She's all I need_…" he said, in the exact pitch and speed as my mind. I twitched, it was eerie how he could narrate my thoughts, but it was true; she is _all I need_. I nodded slowly, watching as his eyes softened to a small degree before turning to look at Bella. I followed his gaze, my thoughts going back to that time when Cullen was gone, when I was the only one that Bella could trust, when I was the only one who could save her. I didn't need to look at him; I knew he could hear my thoughts loud and clear.

'_You owe me; I saved her when you couldn't. Repay your debt._'

His eyes moved over to mine and I stared at him, serious in what I thought. He knew it, he knew what I meant before he exhaled angrily and nodded.

"Fine," he said hoarsely. I sighed in relief, and, for a moment, I could have sworn he did the same. Bella looked up at us, her eyes full of some confusion. I shook my head at her and moved towards the window, Cullen at my heel.

I looked into the darkness of the night, the cool air filling my lungs. I could barely sense her anymore. Cullen stood next to me, inhaling deeply into the air. I looked over at him, and he grimaced. I smirked, she was still close enough for him to sense her.

"Is she close?" I asked hopefully, my voice still hiding the disgust that was in the pit of my heart for needing his help.

"Close is a…_relative_ term, Black," he said, before hoisting himself onto the window ledge. He jumped into the darkness and in an instant, he was calling up to us, so soft that I'm sure only I could hear. "Tell Bella to jump down, I'll catch her." I blinked, surprised and mildly appalled. I hear him sight. "I _won't_ drop her, dog; I have better senses than _you _do." I rolled my eyes.

"He says to jump," I said to Bella. Much to my dismay, she didn't show the same initial fear that I did. She walked over to the ledge and clumsily fell out of it. When I didn't hear a scream of pain, I figured Bella was fine. It was my turn as I pulled myself out of the landing and fell to the ground. I landed on my legs, crouched, and an audible 'oof' was all that could really be heard. My eyes focused instantly as Cullen stood, as if he'd been waiting a long while for me, with Bella on his back, her legs wrapped around him and arms clinging to his neck.

"We're going this way, don't get lost," he said, crooking his head north. I blinked. I couldn't sense her that well, but I knew that she was closer than that.

"She's in the other direction, _Cullen_," I snarled angrily. He snarled back.

"I know _that_, but I can't find her alone, not now, she's too far. We're going to need some help," he said before taking off. I growled before I ran full speed to catch him. He was fast, faster than I was, so when he slowed down to a jog, if I ran full speed I could keep up. Bella was pressed to his back, her head buried in his back, eyes wrenched shut. We ran through the forest, dodging trees in the darkness.

"Where are we going!?" I shouted as I weaved in and out through trees and bushes, leaping over rocks. It was difficult; I hadn't run that hard in a long time. Cullen glided ahead of me as if it were simple, like a child skipping lightly off to play. He looked back at me and smirked evilly.

"My house," he said before continuing at the same pace. When we reached a clearing, I was panting for air as I leaned against my legs. We had run at least twenty miles, maybe more, in less than ten minutes. Cullen softly let Bella off his back and held her steady as she swooned against him. If I hadn't been so focused on breathing, I would have laughed at her; she really couldn't handle fast speeds.

The house was spectacular, and if it didn't reek of blood-sucker, I would have thought it was a good place to be. I breathed in the cool night air and Cullen stretched his back and walked up to the house. He looked back at me, and then at Bella before speaking.

"I'd invite you inside, but I have a feeling that they'll be angry enough as is," he said calmly. There was one large growl as two men showed up behind him, one large and fierce and the other lithe and young. Both had anger in their face and disgust in their eyes. To the side of them, the small, black, choppy hair of Alice Cullen showed up, an equal amount of hate and rage in her cool eyes.

"Angry is an understatement, Edward," she said, her eyes glaring at me.

This would be _fun…._


	6. Chapter 6: Rescue Me

**Chapter Six: Rescue Me**

I sat on the ground, the cool air floating over my body in an almost calming manner. I had been here, in front of the Cullen's home, for almost a half hour, and all I had heard was negotiating from inside. I hated that I couldn't defend my reason for being here, it was in direct violation with the treaty my people had put up, but I didn't care. I needed Luna, I needed her with me and I needed to make sure that she was alright. I rested my head in my hands and let out a deep breath, closing my tired eyes. I didn't have hearing as good as the Cullen's, but mine was good enough to hear the conversation inside the house.

All things considered, it was an oddly _calm_ negotiation, seeing as I could almost taste the hate that was flowing towards me. It was eerie, to say the least, but I had to get through this. Every moment I sat and waited for them to finish negotiating was a moment that Luna got further and further from my protection; further and further from me.

"I'll help," I heard a calm, male voice say. I looked up, and realized the conversation was still taking place inside of the house.

"But, Carlisle-" said a soft, maternal voice, but she was cut off by the man again.

"Look, this isn't a matter of disliking _him_ or not, what matters is that _he_ needs our help, and if Edward is willing to help him, then I am as well," Good. I wouldn't have to worry if the leader of the Cullen clan was helping us, we would surely find her.

"I'll help too," said a voice I recognized as Alice's. I couldn't help but arch my brow, I would have thought that she hated me. "Don't look at me like that, Jasper, I'm helping Edward and Bella," ah. That explained it. They all wanted to help Edward and Bella; Edward because he was in debt and Bella because…well…who didn't want to help Bella?

"What the hell, I'll help too," said a strong, male voice. Four of them would help me, which means that there was almost no way we could fail. The door swung open and the four vampires walked out, followed by Bella. All of them glared at me, save the oldest looking one, whose eyes were calm and soft; I assumed it was Carlisle.

"Thank you," I said, trying to hide the obvious hate in my voice. I didn't _mean_ to hate them, I really didn't, it was just something that came too naturally to ignore. Carlisle smiled and walked over to me, cautiously clapping his cold hand down on my shoulder. It was freezing, like burning ice and when he touched the warmth of my shoulder I was surprised that steam didn't erupt from the contact. He pulled his hand away, though his eyes showed that he wanted to flinch away more than anything.

The tall, broad man next to Edward scowled and shoved his hands into the pockets of his dirty jeans before speaking.

"Any idea where she might be?" he asked me. I looked up at him before looking away.

"No," I answered, inhaling deeply as the wind came from the north. I couldn't smell anything now but the scent of the vampires in front of me.

"Where did she live before you found her?" asked Bella, her eyes soft as she walked over to me, her heart shaped face smiling at me.

"North, she didn't exactly know where, with a wild pack," I answered. Alice arched her brow and the large man started to laugh.

"You're kidding, right? Jesus, we might as well be chasing a wild bitch," Edward's hand moved faster than my angry retort did, and before I could inhale to yell in anger, the larger man was on the ground.

"Shut up, Emmett," Edward said calmly before he looked at the night sky. He inhaled deeply before looking back at me. "She's headed north, and she's really far now, we might not be able to catch her on foot," he answered. I exhaled and looked at the ground, my hair falling into my face. Bella reached up and patted my arm reassuringly, but it did little to help.

"So, we can't get her?" I asked, my heart thudding in my chest. They each looked at each other before Emmett started laughing and hoisted himself off the ground without effort.

"Wow, you're dumb," he said, I glared at him. "We can't get her on _foot_," he reached into his pockets and pulled out a set of keys, jingling them in front of me. I arched my brow.

"You can't run _faster_ than a _car?_" I asked, condescension in my voice. Even _I_ could outrun a car.

"No, we can't run _faster_ than a _car_ that _Edward _is driving," he said, tossing the keys to Edward who caught them easily. Edward disappeared in almost an instant, and was back almost as soon, the black Vanquish screeching to a halt in front of me. "Besides, just because we can go that fast, doesn't mean _you_ can, puppy." I snarled at him, he snarled back, the only thing stopping us from lunging at each other was Edward's feral, impatient growl.

"Bella, Black, you ride with me," Edward snapped. Bella and I walked around the other side of the car, my eyes still glued to the bear of a man. "Emmett and Carlisle, ride in Alice's new car, I think it can match the speed."

Within minutes we were speeding down the highway faster than I knew any car, or any_thing_ for that matter, could go.

---

The world blurred by as I tried to keep track of where we were; it didn't help. The only thing that was constant was the bright yellow car that matched our speed perfectly on the empty highway. The windows were cracked, and as we picked up the distance, I started to smell her more and more with every mile. My heart lifted a little when we crossed the Canadian border, and her scent almost overwhelmed the smell of gas, rubber and vampires in my direct vicinity. Bella, who was in the seat in front of me, had fallen asleep happily on Edward's shoulder, and he was maneuvering a vehicle driving at ungodly speeds with one hand; had this been any other situation, I probably would have shit myself.

For a moment, I wondered how they planned on staying together; Bella would grow old and die, just as all humans do, and Edward would keep living, if you could really call it life. He would be in the same boat as I if somehow, we couldn't reach Luna.

He was lucky, and I envied him for it. He had Bella, he had her completely in every sense of the word if he wanted, she would scour the Earth and Moon for him, and he knew it. He knew that no matter where he went or what he did, she would always be waiting for him. No, I wasn't jealous because of Bella, I was jealous because of _love_. But, at the same time, I felt sorry for him. He had to face the facts; love doesn't conquer all. Their worlds were so different, and one day, eighty years from now or less, Bella would wither away and Edward would be left alone. But, all things considered, the bastard really didn't know just how lucky he was.

I saw his eyes flick to mine in the rear-view mirror as he held my gaze before, as if to make a statement, he placed a soft kiss on Bella's hair.

"…I know how lucky I am, Black," he said after a few more moments of silence. I turned my eyes away from the mirror to stare out of the window. At least he was human enough to know that love like that didn't come around very often.

Suddenly, he slammed on the breaks. I lurched forwards, and Bella was shaken awake, as Edward pulled himself from the car with ease. I opened the door and jumped out.

"What, what's going on?" I asked. Edward lifted a hand to silence me.

"Smell the air, other than your female, what else do you smell?" he asked. I blinked and inhaled, then my eyes widened instantly. I had been so caught up in focusing on Luna's scent I had almost missed the ones surrounding it; Blood, and lots of it.

"What's happening?" asked Bella as she sleepily got out of the car.

"Stay in the car," Edward said harshly. He turned to the forest, and his eyes hardened as he stared into the darkness.

"What?" I asked, itching to run into the brush.

"Stay here, I'll go get her," he said, I grabbed his arm before snarling at him.

"**I'll** go get her," I growled. Edward snarled back.

"No, stay and protect Bella," he said.

"**You** stay and protect Bella, I need to save Luna," we stared at each other for a moment. I heard a loud engine screech and Alice's car skidded to a stop.

"We'll watch Bella, you two go," said Alice as she hopped out of her car, leaning against the Vanquish, her hands protectively around Bella's shoulder. Edward and I stared at each other; there was no time for arguing, no time for hate, all that mattered….

We took off in a shot, darting between trees, following the harsh scent of blood through the forest.

…all that mattered was keeping our loves safe.

---

We didn't need to run far, and soon we came to a halt behind a few trees, Cullen holding his hand out to keep me steady. I watched as, from behind bushes, a buff, intimidating man walked out, Luna being dragged behind him. If Cullen's cold hands weren't against my chest, I would have lunged at him. I felt myself snarl, and Cullen gave me a death glare.

Luna looked horrible, her snowy white skin was battered and bruised as he dragged her naked form across the empty space, before tossing her to the side of a bush and setting down next to her. Her breathing was labored, and her body and face were covered in scratches and bite marks.

She had been in a fight, and, from the looks of things, she had lost. I heard something rustle from the bushes, and two other men walked out. They smelled familiar, not in the sense that I had met them before, but in the sense that we were the same. I held back a growl; they were a pack. Silently nodded, and I realized that his ability would make life easier for sneaking up on them.

I planned in my mind, and he nodded along, whether it was because he thought it a good plan or because it would work was beyond me, but it would have to do.

"Hey, boyos, " came a call from one of the smaller males, his body was covered in nothing but tattered beige pants and his hair, long and black, fell over tanned skin. "Have we decided who gets her?"

"I say I should, because I'm the oldest," said the other one, as he sauntered over to Luna. He lifted his hands to graze across her thigh, and I felt myself growl angrily.

"That's why you shouldn't get her, asshole," said the man who spoke first, "She's young and virile, she needs a mate that matches her." My eyes widened, and I felt myself losing control.

_Mate_? Luna didn't need a mate, not a mate like these men. She needed someone to protect her, someone to love her, someone who would be there for her even if mating had nothing to do with it. Edward nodded at me, which I barely caught from the corner of my eyes as I transformed, ripping through the shards of my clothes as I lunged from our hiding spot at the men, tackling the one whose hand was on Luna as I snarled at him.

Luna didn't need them as a mate, she was _mine_.


End file.
